Recently, cafe streets have appeared all over the city center, and there are many places where you can enjoy a variety of coffee and sweets. Dessert cafes, in particular, provide people with small comfort and healing through their sweet menus, and foreign dessert cultures are easily spread through media such as social media. In the modern world, where economic recession and social stress have increased, people are spending time enjoying sweet sweets at cafes to calm down and recharge their batteries.
The phrase “there’s a cafe across the street” is no longer true, and “cafe streets,” where several cafes line up in a single alley, are now common in many cities. The signs of the various cafes lining the streets are unique, and each one is sure to catch the eye of passersby. Cafes have evolved from just a place to drink coffee to a cultural experience. Especially in university districts, Sinsadong, Gangnam, and Hongdae, where there are a lot of young people, you can easily find a cafe with a unique interior and atmosphere that suits your taste. What’s surprising is that many of the cafes in these neighborhoods are almost always packed with people – the increased demand for cafes has led to the creation of numerous cafes on every corner. So, what is it that draws people to cafes and makes them so in demand?
Cafes used to sell coffee, but nowadays it’s hard to find a place that just sells coffee. In addition to bitter coffee, cafes now offer a variety of other drinks and sweet treats such as shaved ice and cakes. In recent years, cafes have become increasingly “dessertized,” and it’s not uncommon to see “dessert cafes,” where desserts take center stage over coffee. It’s not just about serving drinks, it’s about luring customers with sweetness. A representative brand of dessert cafes is ‘Toothsome Place’. In addition to a variety of drinks, including coffee, they also sell a variety of sweet treats, including waffles, cakes, shaved ice, gelato, honey bread, and more, and their marketing is centered around this. Part of the appeal of TwoThumbPlace is that you can discover new dessert options every time you visit a store. There are currently more than 1,400 stores nationwide, and the number is still growing.
A similar brand to TwoThreePlace is Coffee Bean. Coffee Bean has about 1,000 stores, which is a bit smaller than TwoThreePlace, but its focus on high-quality desserts is what attracts customers. Coffee Bean differentiates itself by offering premium desserts, including cakes made by professional pastry chefs and handmade chocolates. The idea is to make customers feel like they’re not just enjoying a cup of coffee, but that they’re part of a special experience by pairing their beverage with a gourmet dessert.
So why are we so tempted by sweets? The first reason is the development of civilization. In general, as civilizations develop and national incomes rise, sugar consumption tends to increase. It has been said that sugar consumption is a measure of civilization, and sweetness is an appealing factor that has spread with development over time. With the spread of westernized food culture, Western food and dessert culture, which uses a lot of sugar, has taken hold in South Korea, and this can be seen as a driving force behind the dessert culture that Koreans enjoy today.
Another factor is the spread of smartphones, which has led to more cultural exchange through social network services (SNS). People can easily communicate with people overseas and share their dessert culture by taking a picture in front of a sweet treat and posting it on SNS. For example, Monshushu, a famous Japanese dessert brand, first sold a sweet roll cake filled with whipped cream called “Dojima Roll” at its Osaka headquarters, and the look and taste of the roll reached Korea through the social media accounts of Japanese travelers and celebrities. The popularity of the Dojima Roll led to the opening of a Monsieur Monchoux café in Sinsa-dong, and later, the popular dessert menu of Monsieur Monchoux made its way to Korean department stores. In addition, other unfamiliar desserts such as French macaroons and tarts have also spread to Korea through social media, and have become popular menu items in Korean cafes. Now that it is easier to access foreign dessert cultures, Korean dessert culture is also changing in various ways.
The increased stress of modern life is also one of the main reasons why Koreans have turned to sweets. We’ve all experienced the uplifting feeling of eating something sweet at one time or another. MedicalXpress, a medical news portal, published a study that showed that sugar-sweetened beverages regulate the release of cortisol, a hormone that affects stress, and inhibit the brain’s stress response. As you can see from these studies, it’s not just a feeling that sweetness makes you feel better, it’s a scientifically proven effect. This effect of sweetness is one of the reasons why many modern people seek comfort in desserts, especially in times of economic recession and social unrest.
This is why there are so many cafe streets in Korea, and many people naturally gravitate towards cafes as a place to relax while enjoying a sweet treat. Upon entering a cafe, the aroma of coffee and sweet sweets combine to create a warm welcome for visitors. In such an attractive space, people can escape from their daily worries and find comfort and peace of mind while savoring sweet treats that are pleasing to the eye and mouth. Through the small luxuries of cafes, modern people are able to put down their burdens and rest for a while in the midst of anxious reality, and gain the strength and courage to go on with their lives.
In the end, the popularity of cafes that attract tired modern people to sweet sweets reflects the efforts of modern people to heal themselves.
